Charity aid earns Leyla Palace date

Leyla Marrs, 51, of St Annes, was among the guests at a royal garden party to celebrate the work of the Red Cross over the last 150 years.

The Orchard Lodge Care Home boss has helped raise around £700,000 as part of the charity’s Tiffany Circle, a group of female philanthropists working to make the world a better place.

She said: “We had a wonderful day. Prince Charles and Prince Alexander were there. I listened to Prince Charles speak and he was very knowledgeable and charming.

“But it’s not about the recognition – it’s about making sure somebody has got a drink in Africa. I just want to make the world a better place, not just here in the UK but abroad, too.”

Ms Marrs’s work with the Tiffany Circle, part of a global network set up by the American Red Cross in 2007, earned her an invitation to the party at the Palace, followed by dinner at Whitehall’s Banqueting House.

She has been a member since the UK branch was formed in September 2012. Her work has also earned her an invitation to Downing Street in September.

The group organises major fund-raising events to help women in crisis in the UK, children in Sierra Leone and vulnerable families in Mongolia.

She added: “The support we have had is amazing. It is very enjoyable work.”